Robert J. Shapiro on the pros and cons of political partisanship

Much of the legislation currently winding its way through Washington—from health care to financial reform—has helped to widen the gap between the two major political parties. Earlier this morning Chicago Public Radio’s Eight Forty-Eight invited Robert Y. Shapiro, professor of political science at Columbia University and co-author of Politicians Don’t Pander: Political Manipulation and the Loss of Democratic Responsiveness, to discuss the pros and cons of today’s polarized political landscape.
“Is all the partisanship a diminishment of politics? Or does it lift the game to its highest level?” Listen to the archived audio from the show on the Chicago Public Radio website to find out.
Also read an excerpt from Shapiro’s book.